The Caine Mutiny Page #7

Did you believe that log justified | the relief of Captain Queeg?

- Well, sir... | - Yes or no?

No, sir.

Maryk persuaded Mr Keith and me to | go with him to see Admiral Halsey.

On board the flagship I told him the | log didn't justify such action. -

- And that we'd be charged | with mutiny.

Were you surprised | when Maryk relieved the captain?

I was flabbergasted.

- Were you pleased? | - Maryk was a close friend.

I anticipated that he would | be involved in great difficulty.

- No further questions. | - No questions.

- Will you recall the witness? | - No, sir.

- No cross-examination? | - No, sir.

- He's lying. | - He'll get you into more trouble.

Forget it. | I want one hero, not two mutineers.

Call Dr Dixon.

Dr Dixon, please.

- How did it go, Tom? | - You know. You've tried it.

Sure, but you're the old word-king. | You knew what you were doing.

Yeah, I knew what I was doing.

Doctor, can a sane man possibly | perform offensive or foolish acts?

It happens every day.

Assuming that the captain's conduct | often showed bad judgement. -

- Would that be inconsistent | with your diagnosis of him?

No, my colleagues and I didn't find | Captain Queeg a perfect officer.

- But we found no mental illness. | - Then he was relieved unjustly?

From a psychiatric standpoint, yes.

Your witness.

My background is legal, not medical. | My questions might be elementary.

You said that Lt. Commander Queeg | had problems which he handled well.

- Could you describe the problems? | - I object. Queeg is not on trial.

The question is irrelevant.

Evidence regarding Queeg's mental | make-up is of great importance here.

Objection overruled.

The doctor may answer. | Repeat the question.

You said that Lt. Commander Queeg | had problems which he handled well.

Could you describe the problems?

The main problem concerns | childhood inferiority feelings. -

- Aggravated by adult experiences.

- What were those adult experiences? | - He'd undergone a lot of strain.

Long, arduous combat duty. | That's all I can say.

- Would he easily admit mistakes? | - None of us do.

- Would he be a perfectionist? | - Yes.

Inclined to hound subordinates | about small details?

- Would he find people hostile? | - That's part of the picture.

If criticised, | would he feel unjustly persecuted?

It all stems from the premise | that he must try to be perfect.

You have testified that these | symptoms exist in Queeg's behaviour:

Rigidity of personality, | feelings of persecution. -

- And a neurotic certainty | he is always right.

Isn't there one psychiatric term | for this illness?

- I never mentioned any illness. | - Thank you for the correction.

What would you call a personality | with all these symptoms?

A paranoid personality. | But that is not a disabling illness.

- What kind of personality? | - Paranoid.

I would like to protest | the counsel's twisting of words.

There's a difference between mental | illness and mental disturbance.

Could Captain Queeg have been | disabled by the strain of command?

- That's absurdly hypothetical. | - Is it?

- Have you ever had any sea duty? | - No.

Have you ever been at sea? | How long have you been in the Navy?

Five months.

- Have you ever dealt with captains? | - No.

You're no authority on this matter, | and you may be wrong about Queeg.

- Your witness. | - One minute, Doctor.

The defence | has an interesting point.

Did you ever have patients who dealt | with complicated command decisions?

- Plant managers, industrialists... | - Quite a few.

Including flyers, who deal with | life and death every day.

I've written a book on the subject.

Could you detect where a neurosis | might damage decision-making?

- Absolutely. | - You examined Lt. Commander Queeg.

- And you found no such damage? | - That's right.

Thank you, Doctor. | That'll be all.

- Smart guy. | - He's sure gonna bear down on me.

That's the way I saw it. | It was my duty as a naval officer.

Captain Queeg was mentally ill | and I had to take over.

If I had to do it again, | I'd do it.

Thank you, Mr Maryk. | Your witness.

Just a few questions. Were | your grades in high school average?

- Lower than average. | - And in college?

- Are you trained in psychiatry? | - No.

Where did you get the idea | that Queeg was mentally ill?

Out of books... | I can't remember the titles.

- Define schizophrenia. | - I can't.

- What's a manic-depressive? | - I don't know.

What's the difference between | "paranoid" and "paranoia"?

In truth, you don't know | anything about mental illness.

- I didn't say I did. | - You knew enough to commit mutiny.

- I wanted to save the ship. | - But doctors have found Queeg sane.

- They weren't in the ship. | - Isn't the reverse possible?

Under pressure, you became erratic | and couldn't understand the captain.

Who is presumed by the Navy to have | the best judgement in ship handling?

- The captain. | - One last question.

If the diagnosis of expert doctors | is correct, then you're guilty?

I guess maybe so.

- No more questions. | - No further questions.

You may step down, Mr Maryk.

This is just the first act. | The finale's still to come.

Good afternoon, gentlemen.

I assumed command of a badly-handled | ship. I tried to bring in into line.

Lt. Maryk opposed me | from the first.

Maybe he thought I was crazy | to keep trying.

Was your ship on the verge of | foundering when you were relieved?

A typhoon is an extreme hazard, | but the ship was riding well.

Lt. Maryk went into a panic.

He believed | only he could save the ship.

Ensign Keith, a disloyal officer, | combined with him against me.

It was bad luck for them. I bear | them no malice. I'm sorry for them.

- No more questions. | - A word of caution, Mr Greenwald.

The defence will try to challenge | the competence of Captain Queeg.

Nevertheless, all the requirements | of military respect remain in force.

During a period | when the Caine was towing targets. -

- Did you ever | steam over your own tow line?

Objection. The defence outrages | the dignity of this proceeding.

The prosecution believes the report | of the psychiatrist closes the case.

But it is up to you naval officers | to judge the captain's performance.

And I must review that performance.

- Objection overruled. | - Did you steam over your tow line?

I'm happy to dispose | of this particular slander.

When we were towing the target, | I saw some anti-aircraft bursts.

- I turned to avoid them. | - You turned in a full circle.

My unreliable helmsman | failed to warn me about that.

But I saw it and reversed course. | We didn't steam over the tow line.

- Did nothing else distract you? | - Not that I recall.

Weren't you reprimanding a seaman | for having his shirt-tail out. -

- While the ship turned 360 degrees?

That only took two seconds.

The morning the Caine escorted | attack boats to the beach. -

- Did your orders include | dropping a dye marker?

- I don't recall. | - Did you drop a dye marker?

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